Tell Me Again
by Kayla2
Summary: This story takes place after my second favorite Matthew and Destiny scene  the one where Destiny rests her head on Matthew's shoulder after Darren breaks up with her . Matthew did not kill Eddie Ford  nor does he think he did .  Should be 3 chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**TELL ME AGAIN**

_This story takes place after my second favorite Matthew and Destiny scene (the one where Destiny rests her head on Matthew's shoulder after Darren breaks up with her). Matthew did not kill Eddie Ford (nor does he think he did). He did see Bo with Inez (still set up by Clint) and he may have run Nora and Rex off of the road. Nate has been charged with Eddie's death, but he didn't do it, either. It's just my little rewrite of history. _

**Chapter 1 -A Kiss To Build A Dream On**

December 27, 2010

Although chaos had swirled out of control in Destiny's world moments before as Darren ended their relationship, she immediately calmed the minute she felt Matthew's hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything." She wanted to cry, but she felt numb inside. Matthew sat beside her and her head found it's way to his shoulder.

"Yeah, me too." He leaned his head against hers.

Suddenly, she felt safe again. Matthew Buchanan was her best friend. Together they'd been through more than people twice their ages: Matthew's paralysis, Matthew's mother's divorce from his uncle and her remarriage to his father, her brother's gunshot wound and worst of all for her learning that her brother was her biological father. And while they'd always been close, it seemed that in recent weeks, they'd grown even closer. She wondered if it contributed to her breakup with Darren.

She closed her eyes and remembered the minutes before. The sting from the slap of her hand against Darren's face still burned her palm. His words stung more.

"_You don't treat me like your boyfriend. Every time you're upset you go running to Matthew."_

And here they were again. In her heart she knew Darren was right, she did trust Matthew more than she trusted him…or maybe anyone else in her life, except maybe Shaun. The worst part was she knew it was a bad idea. A year ago, she'd allowed herself to fall in love with Matthew and she'd told him so on New Year's Eve at Capricorn. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same. But to Matthew's credit, he'd insisted they remain friends. It wasn't the easiest thing she'd ever done, but they'd managed and now, they were even closer than before.

Destiny heard Darren's voice once more. _"Maybe Matthew should be your boyfriend."_

She shivered at the thought. It was something she'd wanted for so long, but it was also so impossible that she'd given up hope. Matthew made it clear that he only thought of her as a friend when she told him that she loved him nearly a year ago.

"You're shivering. Are you cold?"

"A little."

His arm snaked around her back until it was wrapped around her, pulling her closer in the process. "Better?"

_Not really._ She thought to herself. What she needed was an escape from their close proximity. "I guess. Do you want to go to the Buenos Dias and grab some coffee or hot chocolate?"

"Uh yeah." Matthew seemed to hesitate.

They walked through Angel Square, slowly and quietly. It seemed that neither of them had the desire to break the silence. They arrived at the restaurant, sat across from each other and ordered something to keep them warm. They both stared absentmindedly into their drinks. She ordered hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream. He ordered a simple coffee.

As Matt looked up at her, she took in his handsome features: his dark, curly hair that he tried so desperately to tame, the freckles that were scattered across his nose and his cheeks and his expressive dark eyes that he used to speak volumes with the assistance of his eyebrows.

"What?" A half-smile formed at the corners of his mouth. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I wasn't staring at you." She lied. Like a train without breaks, inwardly, her heart raced. "I was thinking that this reminded me freshman year… when we used to have sundaes together at the palace."

"I remember." He smiled at her and then he tapped at his lip as though he remembered something. "You know, the way you were staring at me, I thought you were going to propose to me again…like you did back when we asked Tea to be my lawyer."

Suddenly, her cheeks felt as though they were on fire. Why in the world was Matthew bringing that up? "I told you then I was only joking."

Matthew reached out and touched her hand. "What happened before I got to Angel Square?"

"Darren ambushed me with my _grand_father and then he got angry when I wasn't happy about it and he dumped me." Darren may not have been her ideal boyfriend, but he was good to her and he generally made her smile. So, the thought of losing him didn't make her happy.

"That sucks." Matthew said, although he didn't exactly seem sad about it.

Destiny took a sip of her hot cocoa. And when she looked up, she saw Matt staring at her.

"You've got whipped cream on…" Much to her surprise, he reached across the table and touched the corner of her mouth. He let his hand linger near her bottom lip, while his eyes remained fixed on her. "Your mouth," he finished his sentence.

Reflex caused her to move backward. Matthew retreated to his side of the table and she wiped her mouth with a napkin. They lingered at the table for a while longer and Matthew filled her in about his confrontation with his dad. When they'd finished their drinks, he offered to walk her home.

At her door, they stood together in silence each waiting for the other to be the first to speak. In the end, it was Matthew who broke the silence. "Des, I know things suck for both of us right now, but I promise we'll get through this."

Though she was usually positive, the day had been rough. "How do you know?"

"Because as long as we're together we can get through anything."

He pulled her into a hug. And during their embrace, all seemed right in the world. But then, the unexpected happened. As Destiny removed herself from Matthew's arms, he touched her cheek. Then he slowly leaned in and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

Destiny found herself a little dazed and a lot confused. She'd waited for this moment for longer than she could remember, but now that it had arrived, she had no idea what had led to it or what should come next. So, she did the only thing she could think of: she ran. "Goodnight," was the only word she uttered before she walked inside and closed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi all. I managed to squeeze another chapter out this weekend. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to finish another one until next weekend (I'll try, though.). Still, I hope you enjoy. This one is from Matthew's point of view. BTW, I'm not a huge Clint fan, but I thought this time we'd use his powers for good. Replies are appreciated._

Chapter 2 – Over the Moon

Matthew rested his head on his desk, something he shouldn't do at work. Still, he couldn't help it. His stomach was in a million knots and there was one person to blame: his best friend, Destiny Evans. Sure, things were awful at home. His dad had taken up residence at the Palace hotel after Matthew revealed to his mom that his dad had an affair with Inez Salinger. His mother was crushed and he hated seeing her that way. Even still, Destiny's silence made everything seem worse because she was typically his sounding board. And now, since he'd kissed her the night before, she hadn't returned his two calls or the three texts he'd sent.

"Matthew, are you alright, son?" His Uncle Clint entered the room. "You look sick."

"I'm fine." Matthew lifted his head and straightened his back until he reclined slightly in his office chair. "Yesterday was kind of a rough day."

"What happened?"

Matthew recounted the confrontation between himself and his parents, including the details about his dad moving out. Then he paused.

Clint immediately picked up on his hesitation. "You sure you're only bothered by what's going on with your parents."

"There is something else…it's Destiny." Normally, he'd talk to his dad or his brother, David, about what happened between he and Des, but David was in California and he wasn't speaking to his dad.

"Is she okay, son? I ran into her in Angel Square yesterday."

"I did, too, right after her boyfriend broke up with her." He tugged on his lip, the way he did whenever he was in deep thought. "The weird thing was that I was kind of glad she and Darren broke up."

"You were?" Clint moved to the other side of his desk and sat in one of the chairs. "Is that because you finally figured out the obvious?"

"The obvious?" Matthew raised an eyebrow at his uncle's statement.

"Come on Matthew, it's clear that you're over the moon for that girl. You spend every minute that you're not here or at school with her. You're constantly worried about her and your whole face lights up whenever she calls." One thing his uncle never did was mince words. "Did you finally figure out that you're crazy about that little filly?"

A filly. The word made him smile. It was something only his Grandpa Asa or his Uncle Clint would call a woman. He missed his grandpa. For a second, he thought about his uncle's words. Was he in love with Destiny? He definitely had feelings for her that extended beyond their close friendship. He hated when she talked to Inez's son, Nate Salinger and he loved when she decided to share her feelings with him instead of her boyfriend, Darren. And if he had the free time to spend the day with anyone, he would always choose her. "Yeah, I think I finally figured it out."

"Good man." His uncle slapped his knee and smiled. "I like that young woman. She's got spunk. You're grandpa would have liked her, too."

"I know." In the back of Matthew's mind, he always suspected that Grandpa Asa sent Destiny to him. When he was paralyzed he'd asked his dearly departed grandpa for a sign that everything would be okay; Destiny entered the room a split second later.

"So, now that you've figured it out? What are you going to do about it?"

"Unfortunately, I think I already messed things up." Matthew's eyes strayed toward his cell phone that still indicated he had no new messages.

"How? When I saw Destiny this afternoon, it was obvious she cared about you."

"What did she say?" Matthew felt himself perk up a bit.

"Just that she was worried about you."

"Oh." He expected Destiny to worry about him; after all, she was his best friend. "That was before I kissed her. I think it kind of freaked her out. I mean she'd only been broken up with Darren for like an hour. Maybe it was too soon."

"Hogwash!" His uncle stood up and moved to Matthew's side of the desk. "You're a Buchanan. You go after what you want. Destiny knows that about you. It's probably one of the things she likes about you."

"I don't know Uncle Clint, Destiny told me she loved me last year and I told her that I only wanted to be friends. Maybe she doesn't want to be with me anymore. I should probably give her some space."

"You sit around here "giving her some space and you might miss your chance. You know, when I saw her today, she was also told me she was worried about her friend, Nate Salinger. Let's hope he doesn't decide he wants to be with Destiny. You know the Salingers take what they want. I'd hate to see you lose the girl you're supposed to be with to Nate." Clint smacked him on the back. "No, I won't have it. You want Destiny; you go tell her how you feel. Take the rest of the day off."

Matthew watched as his uncle left his office. Maybe there was some truth to what he'd said. Not about Nate, even though he wouldn't put it past Nate to put the moves on Destiny. After all, he'd tried to at Destiny's birthday party the second Dani was gone. Matthew still remembered the anger he felt when he saw Nate with his hands all over Destiny. Still, Nate was Dani's boyfriend and Dani was Destiny's _other_ best friend. No matter what Nate tried, Destiny would shoot him down. But Uncle Clint was right; he should talk to Des sooner rather than later.

When he left the office, he stopped by Destiny's but her brother, Shaun, said she wasn't home. She was at the Buenos Dias where he headed immediately. When he got there, he didn't like what he saw. Destiny was sitting in a booth with Nate Salinger. And they seemed to be engrossed in a deep conversation.

He walked directly to the table. "Des, is this why you were too busy to return my calls?"

She excused herself from Nate in a way that made Matthew believe she expected to continue her conversation with Nate after she _dealt_ with him. A wave of unsteadiness settled in the pit of his stomach. They moved to a private corner of the diner.

"Des, we need to talk about that kiss yesterday."

"What's to talk about? It was a kiss. We were both hurting." She kept her eyes lowered to ground the entire time she spoke. It was not like Destiny. To call her direct would be an understatement.

It suddenly hit Matthew that Destiny didn't want to talk about the kiss because she was afraid he was going to hurt her. For months, he'd walked around in a foul mood because Dani broke his heart and yet, he'd done the same thing to Destiny and insisted she remain his friend throughout the process. The realization both broke his heart and made him more determined. "I'm not going to let this go."

"Fine, but can we talk about this another time?"

He had an idea. "Sure. How about New Year's Eve at Capricorn?"

She dropped her head. "I don't think so. I didn't have the best time there last New Year's Eve."

"I know." He reached for her hand and held it in his. "But I thought things might be different this year if you went as my date." For a moment, he was afraid she would be unable to hear him over the sound of his heart beating. Fearing she might say, "no," he quickly added, "Only if you want to."

"You want me to be your date for New Year's Eve?"

"Yeah, Bruno Mars will be there and I dance a lot better than I did last year." He was suddenly grateful that Capricorn had these amazing all-ages shows. He knew Bruno Mars was one of Destiny's favorites and he would make it very difficult for he to say no.

"A date? Are you sure?" She focused intently on his eyes, which was something she did when she wanted him to be straight with her.

"I've never been surer about anything."

"Okay," she smiled. And one smile was all it took to set his world back on its axis. She slipped her hand from his. "Now, can I go finish my conversation with Nate?"

"If you have to." He didn't like it, but he had made his play and she hadn't run. He would have to trust the rest. "He's not hitting on you is he?"

Destiny actually laughed out loud. "Of course he isn't. Nate and I are friends that's all."

"Yeah, but sometimes friends want to be more than friends." He hoped that she got that he was talking about himself.

"I, I'm going to go now." She began to walk away. Then without warning, she turned back and planted a kiss on his cheek.

As he watched her walk away, he placed his hand on his cheek where her lips had been seconds before. He was fairly certain that Destiny had just agreed to give him a second chance and this time he wouldn't blow it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi all, I've been dealing with a power outage since Thursday (it's still off) due to bad storms. Anyhow, I know I said this would be a three-parter, but I decided to make it five (hope you don't mind): one for each day from December 27, 2010 through December 31, 2010. This one is mostly Destiny and Dani. The title of the chapter makes the rest pretty self-explanatory. Replies are appreciated._

**Chapter 3- Clearing The Air**

December 29, 2010 (Wednesday)

"Destiny Loretta Evans, will you please explain to me why I have to hear important details about your life from my boyfriend instead of you, my best friend?" Danielle practically shouted as she entered Destiny and Shaun's apartment.

"What do you mean?" Destiny tried to play innocent. For whatever reason, she'd been unable to discuss her break up with Darren or the recent developments with Matthew with anyone other than Shaun. And even with Shaun, she'd carefully edited her tale, leaving out the way her pulse raced whenever Matthew even looked at her now.

Danielle plopped on the sofa. "Don't try to deny there is something going on between you and Matthew. Nate already told me that you kissed Matthew yesterday at the Buenos Dias."

"It was a kiss on the cheek." Destiny rolled her eyes, annoyed at Nate's verbal diarrhea.

"A kiss on the cheek that happened after you and Darren broke up. Why didn't you tell me about you and Darren?" Danielle made a pouty face.

"Who wants to go around talking about a break up?" Destiny hadn't planned to tell anyone about Darren or Matthew, not until she made some sense of it herself. Yesterday, Darren sent Nate to the Buenos Dias to make a plea for forgiveness on his behalf after she'd refused his calls and his texts. Admittedly, she'd done so partly out of guilt. She could barely think of Darren for replaying the kiss with Matthew in her mind. While they were there Nate began telling her what a great guy Darren was and how much he cared about her, things she already knew. It was during her conversation with Nate that Matthew arrived and asked to be her New Year's Eve date.

Danielle continued, "Destiny, Nate says Darren broke up with you because he was jealous of your relationship with Matthew. Did he have reason to be?"

"No." Destiny plopped on the sofa beside Dani. "At least he didn't while we were together. Now, I don't know what to think." Destiny took a deep breath. She and Matthew had been through so much together and yet, every time she thought they would be together, Matthew would catch a case of clueless and push her back into the friend zone. She'd made up her mind last New Year's Eve that she wouldn't give him another chance to hurt her.

"Okay. Spill it."

Destiny lay her head back on one of the sofa cushions, took a deep breath and then recounted all of the details of the last couple of days, including Matthew kissing her when he took her home.

"Oh my gosh!" Dani exclaimed, "Nate totally called it. Matthew has a thing for you."

Destiny stared at Dani as if she sprouted a second head. Once more she felt the heat rise to her face. "Matthew does not have a _thing _for me. We're friends."

"Yeah?" Dani raised an eyebrow at Destiny. "I bet you didn't know Matthew basically threatened Nate about making a 'making a move on you,'" Dani used her fingers to make air quotes.

"He did not." Although she wasn't sure she believed it, Destiny felt her heart do a bit of a flip at the revelation. She wanted to know more. "When?"

"Nate said, Matthew got all crazy jealous after he gave you those earrings on your birthday. He said, Matthew followed him outside and told him that he wasn't going to let him 'make a move on you.'"

"Nate never hit on me. We're just friends." Des felt like she should defend the suggestion of anything improper."

"I know you would never do that to me." Dani poked Destiny's cheek. "That's the point, Matthew was being irrationally jealous."

Destiny sighed, "You're just telling me this now? That was months ago."

"Says the girl who didn't tell me about her break-up." Dani gave Destiny an exaggerated roll of the eyes. "I was going to, but then Nate asked me not to. He thought it might cause problems between you and Darren…well, that and he hates Matthew and said he didn't deserve you."

Destiny's head spun from the new information. She felt herself smile as she wondered if she could finally trust that Matthew had romantic feelings for her. As a gift for the revelation, she decided to throw Dani a bone. "Matthew asked me to go out with him on New Year's Eve."

"Did you say yes?" Dani asked. Her excitement practically propelled her off of the sofa.

"Will it cause a problem between us if I did? I mean we are best friends and you and Matthew dated…"

"For like five minutes." Dani took Destiny's hands in her own. "You still don't get it, do you? It's always been you. Destiny, you've always been the one for Matthew. Why do you think I ran like hell to Nate?"

Destiny pulled her hands from Dani's as confusion once again clouded her brain. Dani was only doing what best friends were supposed to do in encouraging her to go for a boy she'd loved forever, but this last declaration was a bit too much. She gave her a dismissive hand. "Whatever." Half afraid she might cry, Destiny turned her back to Dani.

"Des, I'm serious. One of the first conversations I ever had with Matthew was about you. And at the boarding school he borrowed my phone almost immediately, just so he could call you. Then when he did his whole face lit up. Des, when we flew to Seattle to get his surgery, he wouldn't even pack those gym shoes you bought him in a carryon. He had to keep them on his lap." Dani touched Destiny's arm. "Des, I even told him I thought you were his soulmate. You've always been the one."

"So, if I was _the one_ why did you go out with him?" Destiny looked her squarely in the eye.

"Because he swore that the two of you were just friends. But when I spent time with the both of you, I could see the way things were going to eventually play out. And I really liked you. I didn't want a temporary thing between Matt and me to come between you and me as friends. In my mind I considered pulling back from Matthew…and then, I met Nate." Dani smiled. "The craziest part was that you were the one demanding my unconditional loyalty to Matthew. That's when I knew moving on to Nate was the right thing to do."

"Then why was it so hard for Matthew to move on? He went on about losing you for months."

"It wasn't about losing me, it was about losing. I hate to break it to you but your boyfriend is a brat." Dani chuckled. "He's pretty used to getting his own way. I'd tell you to watch it, but you so own him anyway. What would be the point?" She grabbed Destiny's hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to find you the perfect dress. The sooner you and Matthew are on the road to happy couplehood, the sooner you and I can work on he and Nate being friends, so we can double date."

Destiny stopped in her tracks. "Matt and Nate being friends? Now, I know you've lost your mind."

Several hours later, Destiny returned home with the perfect dress. Excitement danced on the goosebumps she developed the day before. Moments after she opened the door, Shaun entered the room holding a vase of lilac roses.

"These are for you. It looks like Matthew doesn't waste anytime going after what he wants." Shaun handed her the vase before he added, "I think he and I are going to have to have a talk about that real soon." He moved toward the kitchen.

"Shaun!" She called after him as he left the room. When she was sure he was gone, she quickly dialed a familiar number.

"Hey Des." Matthew greeted before he heard her voice. "Did you get the flowers?"

"They're beautiful." Though she knew he couldn't see it, she suspected he knew she was blushing.

Matthew's voice grew soft. "So are you." A comfortable pause landed momentarily. "Are you ready for Friday?"

"I think," she reflected on her conversation with Dani, "I finally am."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Tell Me Again

December 30, 2010

Matthew looked down at his hands. For some reason they felt clammy and gross. He wiped them on his jeans before he raised his hand to knock on Destiny's door. Before he could knock, he lowered his hand back to his side. He curled his fingers into a fist and then released them…and then, for no reason, he repeated the gesture. Butterflies flew in loops and circles in his stomach. Suddenly, it occurred to him that he was nervous. But why? Was it because everything between he and his best friend was going to change tomorrow…if he was lucky? Part of him was terrified that a move to make Destiny his girlfriend might cost him the very friendship that had been his lifeline for the last two years.

"Matthew?" Destiny opened the door.

"Hey Des." His eyes roamed her body with a quick glance. She looked great. A fitted light blue sweater and a pair of blue jeans hugged her curves in all of the right places.

"What are you doing here? And why are you standing in the hallway?"

If he confessed that he was thinking, she'd want to know about what. Chances were she'd ask him what was on his mind anyway. No, he'd come for a specific purpose and part of that was to let her know how much he appreciated her. "I didn't give you one of the Christmas presents I bought for you…I mean I ordered it and it didn't get here in time."

"Come in." She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. He hoped his sweaty hand didn't betray his sudden nerves. She he led him across the living room. "You really didn't need to buy me another Christmas present. You got me the Pulse for my birthday and the Kinect games which I love." She walked to the sofa and sank into the sofa.

He sat beside her. "I know. You've made me play Dance Central three times since Christmas, which was less than a week ago."

"Well don't think that means I'm going to spend the next six hours watching the Family Guy with you as payback."

"Come on Des, you know it's funny." He'd caught her laughing when he'd forced the reruns on her before. Still, he knew she would never admit that she liked it. "Besides if you didn't think it was funny, why did you buy it for me?"

"I bought it because _you_ liked it."

Matthew drummed his fingers against his thigh. The present he bought her seemed like a good idea at the time, even though part of him knew Darren would pitch a hissy fit about it. Now, thankfully, there was no Darren to worry about. Still, he couldn't just give her the gift…not without risking freaking her out. So, he would approach the subject carefully. "Did I ever tell you that my dad is half-Irish?"

As soon as he saw Destiny wrinkle her nose, he realized how far out of left field the comment must have seemed. "Did you and your dad make up? Did he make up with your mom?"

"No," he said softly. Damn it. She was changing his carefully-picked subject. Part of what he loved about Destiny was the concern she showed not only for him but also for his entire family. However, right now he needed her to be a little less concerned.

He'd find his way back. "I miss hanging with my mom and dad doing things. We went to Ireland a few years ago and we had a really good time."

"Oh my gosh, I bet it was beautiful. It looks so green in the pictures. I've always wanted to go there and Switzerland and Italy."

"Des…" He called her name softly, but it was too late. She'd already started on one of her rapid-fire rambles. He usually thought they were cute.

"Oh yeah," she continued on. "I really want to go on an African safari in Kenya or to see the pyramids in Egypt."

"Destiny," he called, but she didn't hear her. He called her a second time, more loudly. "Destiny…"

"What?" She sighed. Clearly, he'd interrupted her from traveling the world in her mind.

"Your present." At this point, he figured he might as well just give it to her. He pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket and held it in his palm.

"Matthew, what is it?" Her voice shook a little.

"Open it."

Her face must have changed into a thousand different expressions from the time she began to open the box until she finished. Finally, she wore a look that screamed confusion. "You got me a ring?"

"Yeah, it's an Irish friendship ring." It was really much more. When they were in Ireland, his dad wanted to surprise his mother with a piece of jewelry so they ducked into a jewelry store in Dublin while she napped back at the hotel. It was then that he saw the unusual ring with the hands and the heart. The shape of the ring intrigued him and the clerk was eager to explain its significance.

"A friendship ring?" Destiny raised an eyebrow before slowly opening the box to reveal the white gold ring, which in the center had two hands holding a heart. On top of the heart was a crown. She stared at it for a few seconds before she gushed, "Matthew, it's beautiful."

"It's called a Claddagh. The cool thing is that it means different things depending on the hand you wear it on and on what direction the crown is facing."

Destiny pulled the ring from the box and held it between her fingers. Her interest was peaked. "It does?"

"Yeah." He was excited now, too. And each symbol on the ring has a meaning. He scooted closer to her so that he could show her what was on the ring…and what was in his heart. He leaned over her shoulder, so close that he could hear her breathing. He pointed to the crown that sat above the heart. "The crown symbolizes loyalty. That's practically your middle name. You've had my back this year even when you probably shouldn't have."

"You would do the same for me." She smiled at him, which was something that always made him happy.

"I would, but everyone loves you anyway." He pointed to the two tiny hands that held the heart. "The hands represent friendship. You're my best friend. So, it's perfect."

She stared at the ring for a second. "And what about the heart?"

He took a deep breath. The moment he'd rehearsed in his head had arrived. But as he looked into her large eyes that always seemed to draw him in, all he wanted to do was kiss her. He pushed a few strands of her hair back before he continued speaking. "The heart represents…"

His mouth moved closer to hers, inch-by-inch and centimeter-by-centimeter until the door opened behind him and suddenly closed loudly. It was just as he'd feared; Destiny's brother, Shaun had just walked in and was now giving him the death stare.

"Hi Shaun," he managed to eek out.

"Hello Matthew." Shaun smiled in an odd fashion. He slapped him on the back…hard. "How have you been?"

"Uh, good?" Matthew asked, more than he answered.

"Good." Shaun paused for a minute. Then, he smiled brightly. It was as though a light bulb appeared in his mind. "Hey do you remember when you were still in that wheelchair and we were up at your family's cabin?"

"Yeah."

"And I picked you up and carried you up those stairs like you were a feather?"

"Uh yeah." Of course he remembered. At the time, Shaun seemed almost like a superhero to him. It was as if he had superhuman strength.

"Good." Shaun patted him on the shoulder. "You keep remembering how easily I could toss you around when you're dating my little sister." Shaun stood and began to walk toward the kitchen.

"Shaun, knock it off. Matthew and I are friends." Suddenly, he wondered whether she wanted more. He would find out on New Year's Eve.

"Riiiiight." Shaun responded without turning around.

When Shaun was out of earshot, Destiny turned and faced him. "I'm sorry, Matthew. I never told Shaun we were dating…I think he assumed when he saw the flowers you sent…"

"It's okay…I mean I don't mind, if you don't…" He looked down at his jeans before he looked up again. She was staring at him. He really wanted to kiss her. But as he heard Shaun clanking plates in the kitchen, he decided it probably wasn't the best idea. Instead, he decided he should go. He had a lot of preparations to make so that Destiny would have a perfect evening tomorrow. "Des, I should go."

"Okay." She looked confused. He relaxed in the knowledge that she would appreciate his efforts tomorrow. As they walked to the door, he asked, "Are you excited about Bruno and Capricorn?"

"Yessss," she stretched out the word as she spoke it softly. "But I'm confused about why you want to go back there with me, especially after everything that happened last year."

"It's because of what happened last year. I want to make things right." Last year, she handed him her heart and he smashed it to pieces before he gave it back to her. He wanted to correct his mistakes. "Last year you told me how you felt about me…and as crazy as it sounds, I need you to tell me again."

"Matthew, I don't know…"

"Shh, trust me. Okay?" He watched as she nodded slowly. She was still unsure. "I promise, I'm not going to hurt you." He leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her mouth. "Oh yeah, and bring the ring." Placing one more kiss on her forehead, he left quickly before she could ask all the questions he could see forming in her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Unexpected Answers

December 31, 2011

Destiny sat in the large leather chair in her living room with her knees to her forehead. In the background she blared Katy's Perry's, Hot and Cold, or as she liked to think of it, Matthew's theme song. In true Matthew fashion, he'd confused her again. After days of making romantic gestures, which started like five seconds after she and Darren broke up, he gave her a friendship ring. Was he telling her that he only wanted to be friends?

The ring of the doorbell danced over the music, which Destiny silenced with the remote. She moved like a zombie as she answered its call. Opening the door, she was greeted by the familiar smile of her best friend, Dani.

"Hey Des!" Dani smiled, brightly. She looked gorgeous in her sunflower yellow, flowy gown that that stopped at her knees. She smiled when she realized how far she and Dani had come in their journey to best friendship. Then Destiny noticed Dani's smile faded as Dani realized she was still wearing her blue jeans and a sweater. "Hey, what's going on? Matthew is going to be here to pick you up in an hour and you're not even dressed."

"I'm not going." She turned her back to Dani, leaving her standing, mouth open, in the doorway.

"Des, what are you talking about? After we found you that beautiful dress yesterday, you were super excited about going. What happened?" Dani closed the door before she promptly landed beside Destiny on the sofa.

"I think Matthew only wants to be friends…and maybe it's for the best. Matthew and I are really good at the friend thing."

"Friends don't send friends roses." Dani pointed to the roses Matthew sent her days before. "Or ask friends on dates…or kiss them when they break up with their boyfriends. Matthew is _so _into you."

"Okay." Destiny threw her hands in the air to silence Dani. "But do guys that are _into_ girls give them _friendship_ rings?"

"What? When did he-"

"Yesterday." Destiny made her way to her bedroom and Dani followed. Opening her drawer, she pulled out the box that she hadn't looked at since the day before. Destiny deposited in Dani's hands, the small velvet box that contained the beautiful ring.

"Des, it's beautiful." Dani gushed as soon as she opened the box. "Guys just don't give girls rings. I mean, I've been with Nate eight months and he hasn't given me a ring. I think this means more than friendship. Tell me exactly what Matthew said when he gave it to you."

Destiny peeked into her friend's hand at the ring. With each new peek, her heart raced. Dani could be right, but there was lots of talk of friendship when Matthew gave it to her; specifically, how much hers meant to him. "He told me it was an Irish friendship ring. He said everything on the ring had a special meaning."

"Like what?" Dani deposited the ring back into her palm.

Closing her fingers tightly around the ring, Destiny tried to remember Matthew's exact words. She opened her palm so that she and Dani could look at the ring once more. "He said the crown was for loyalty and the hands were for friendship."

"What about the heart?"

"I don't know." Des climbed onto her bed. "That's when Shaun walked in and started harassing Matthew about dating me. It was pretty embarrassing."

"See, Shaun sees it too. Everyone who sees the two of you together can tell how much Matthew loves you."

"You see what you want to see because you're my best friend." Destiny loved her friend, but she had a tendency to exaggerate.

"Des," Dani's voice softened as she took one of Destiny's hands in her own. "Do you know why Darren broke up with you? It's because whenever Matthew wasn't around, half of the basketball team was teasing Darren about you cheating on him with Matthew. " She paused before she added, "Nate always defended you, though."

"But nothing ever happened. We never cheated-" Her heart sank as she thought of how badly Darren must have felt at the sound of the gossip. Destiny was not a cheater and she was hurt by the thought that people were saying she was. "Why would anyone say that?"

Dani shrugged and titled her head to the side as she typically did whenever she had a hard truth to tell. "I'm not saying people are right to gossip, but maybe it's because people always see you hugging Matthew and it's a lot more often than when you're with Darren. And the two of you are always together…and when you are, it's kind of like other people don't exist anymore. It's pretty obvious that you're in love." Dani began to tap her finger against her forehead. "Des, give me your laptop."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to Google Irish friendship ring. But you…go get dressed because there is no way you are backing out of this date." Dani's fingers ran furiously over the keys on Destiny's laptop until she noticed that Destiny was still standing in front of her. "Seriously Des."

Destiny grabbed the cobalt blue halter dress from her closet and headed to the bathroom. In the shower, she let the water run over her face as she tried to process the information Dani just dumped on her. Now, she felt even more confused than she had before Dani arrived. Maybe Matthew did have feelings for her that extended beyond friendship. Maybe he didn't. Fifteen minutes later, she reemerged from the bathroom.

"Des, you look beautiful. Matthew is going to love you in that dress." Dani smiled and then added in a singsong voice, "_more than he does already_."

"Dani," Destiny sighed. "Please."

"Fine. I won't tell you what I found out online." Dani smirked like the cat that ate the canary. "_Like the heart symbolizes love."_

"What?" Destiny could have sworn her heart was going to leap right out of her chest. She sat on the bed beside her friend.

"Yep. The stuff I read says the ring means love and friendship." Dani offered a big grin. Dani stood and began applying Destiny's makeup. "Sometimes it's even used as an engagement ring…though, I'm sure Matthew probably only wants you to wear it on your right hand with the heart facing your wrist."

"Why? What does that mean?" She grabbed Dani's hand and stopped her from applying her blush.

"That would mean you're his girlfriend." She tapped Destiny's nose with her finger before she reached for a mirror. "Check yourself out, gorgeous."

Destiny had to admit that she looked good. She toyed with pulling her hair up or leaving it down while Dani continued to hold the mirror. Ultimately, she decided on up. When she was finally ready, Dani left, promising to see her later at Capricorn.

Fifteen minutes later, Matthew arrived at the door. He looked amazing in his tux. He had a fresh haircut that allowed some of the natural curl to remain and opted to avoid the hair gel. Judging by his obvious stare he approved of her appearance as well.

"Hey." She glanced at him then quickly looked away. Part of her wondered where the sudden shyness came from. Part of her blamed the information overload Dani gave her not even a half hour before.

"Des, you look good."

"Thank you."

"No, I mean you look really good." A half smile followed Matthew's words. "Should we go?"

"Sure." As Matthew extended a hand for her to take, she felt her breathing become even more jagged. On the drive over to Capricorn, neither of them said much, but their silence was a comfortable one, the kind that only came with friendship.

When they arrived, Matthew led her by the hand into club. Immediately, all of the bad feelings of the previous year returned. Then, as if Matthew could read her mind, he gave her hand a squeeze.

"Wanna dance?" Matthew's voice seemed deeper than it had before. She nodded half afraid that her voice would betray her nervousness. The music was slow and sweet, just something from a DJ until Bruno took the stage. They swayed to the music for a while until Matthew led her to nearly the same spot where she confessed her feelings for him. "Did you bring the ring?"

"I did." It was tucked safely in her purse.

"I wasn't completely honest when I said it was a friendship ring. It means a whole lot more. Just like you mean more to me than just being my best friend." Matthew tugged at his lip, the way he always did when something was weighing on his mind. "Des, the last time we stood in this very spot, you told me something and I blew it. I need you to tell me again so I can make things right."

She glanced up and saw Darren who was standing across the room with Dani and Nate. He looked so sad that it broke her heart. "Matthew, I can't tell you want you want to hear. In fact, I'd really like it if you take me home."

"Are you sure?" Matthew looked crushed. "I mean you love Bruno. We can just hang out, watch the show and not talk."

She looked at the crowded room of people and released a deep sigh. "I'm sure. I want to go home and I'd like to go now."


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all, this is the final chapter. I hope you all enjoy. Reviews are always appreciated.

**Chapter 6- Just the Two of Us**

December 31, 2010

Matthew looked toward Destiny who was silently staring out of the passenger side window of his car. The moon reflected against her chocolate skin and somehow gave her eyes the illusion that they were even bigger than he once believed. How had he missed how absolutely gorgeous she had always been?

Seeking to break the silence, he called her name. "Des, we really need to talk."

"I'm sorry I'm making you miss Bruno Mars." Her response came without her changing her gaze.

The hair on his arm bristled a bit as he found himself slightly annoyed with her response. Had the meaning behind the flowers and the ring really been lost on her? "I only got tickets because I knew he was your favorite. I wanted tonight to be perfect for you."

Finally, she faced him. "It couldn't have been perfect for me if it was awful for someone else."

For a moment, he tried to guess who she meant then it him. "Darren?" He silence was all the answer he needed. "Do you still have feelings for the guy?"

She shot him a look that he couldn't read. "Matthew, it's only been four days since we broke up. Can we not talk about this right now?"

"Then when do you want to talk about it? When were 20 or maybe 30? It doesn't matter how long we avoid talking about it, Des. I'm in love with you and I don't see that changing for a very long time."

Her eyes now reminded him of a deer in headlights as she stared at him without blinking. "What did you say?"

A loud sigh escaped his lips as he pulled into her building's lot. Everything had gone wrong tonight. He'd imagined confessing his feelings for her under dimmed lights during a slow dance. He parked the car and then he turned to face her. "I said I'm in love with you." The look of surprise on her face caught him off guard. "How can you not have known that? Des, you're the only person I've even wanted to be around for months."

"Would you please stop talking?" She sighed. "Let's just go inside."

Obediently, he exited the vehicle, opened her door and walked her back to the apartment she shared with her brother. The evening's events had left him slightly off balance. He was hesitant to enter and so he remained in the doorway.

"Aren't you coming in?" She asked as though entering should have been the most natural reaction.

"You don't want me to go?"

She shook her head, "no." He stepped inside and watched as she moved about the apartment. Her movements surprised him as she set about dimming the lights and lighting candles. And then she walked to her MP3 player and selected a song by Monica…Everything to Me. Then she extended her hand.

"Dance with me?"

For the first time that evening, his heart resumed its normal pace.

"Now, you were saying something in the car…" Looking up at him, she smiled.

"That I love you."

"Are you sure?" Destiny's eyes searched his own.

He leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. "Yeah. I'm sure." He tucked one of her braids behind her ear. "The question is how do you feel Des. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that you would feel the same about me that you did last year. When I asked you about Darren, you didn't answer whether you still had feelings for him. Do you?"

"Of course I do." She dropped her head. "Darren was really great to me and I wouldn't want to hurt him for anything in the world."

"Oh." Though he understood, he felt the jealousy well up inside of him. What kind of feelings did she have for him? What did that mean for the two of them.

"But…I only feel friendship for Darren. I love you, Matthew. I wanted to come here so that we could have this evening together, just the two of us, without any angry words or hurt feelings-"

He smirked. "Yeah, there will be enough of that when people know we're a couple."

Destiny teased him. "When exactly did we become a couple?"

"Right now." He smiled what he could only imagine was a goofy smile. He was so happy that he had to be goofy. "Where's your ring?"

She walked to her purse and pulled out the small ring. She placed it in his hand. He recalled the story of the ring and placed it on her right ring finger with the heart facing her wrist. "Do you know what this means?"

"It means there is hope for you, yet." She giggled.

"Look." He pointed at the clock, which read 11:59. Quickly, he turned on the television so they could count their way to the New Year. At the stroke of 12, he kissed Destiny the way he'd seen people do in the holiday movies. Then he whispered, "You were right, things are better when it's just the two of us."

"I'm always right, you'll have to get used to that."

He each looked down at their hands intertwined and thought of the path they traveled on the road to each other. Somehow, she'd always known. He smiled. "I think I'm used to it already."

He pulled her close to him and they swayed silently to the music that played softly from the television. Soon, their silence was interrupted by the sound of fireworks that were on display at the Llanview pier. He took her hand and led her to window where they watched and felt the fireworks into the wee hours of the morning.


End file.
